CLUTTER-FREE SKYLINE AWAITS BHUBANESWAR RESIDENTS

Bhubaneswar, Nov. 27: A cluttered skyline with haphazard hoardings atop buildings here will shortly become a thing of the past after the civic body created a no-hoarding zone.

The civic body had already taken several steps to ensure better infrastructure and qua-lity living since it secured top spot in the Centre's list of smart cities earlier this year. Now, in an attempt to beautify the city skyline and ensure residents' safety, it has earmarked a zone in the heart of the city as a no-hoarding zone.

The stretch begins from Master Canteen Square to 120 Infantry Battalion Square via Rabindra Mandap Square on one side and from 120 Infantry Battalion Square to Raj Bhavan Square on the other via Power House Square. The zone also includes the stretch between Raj Bhavan Square and AG Square and the entire stretch from Rabindra Mandap Square to Capital Hospital Square.

The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation has created the zone in line with its commitment to de-clutter the skyline. It also hopes that the move will minimise damage to life and property caused by natural calamities.

Mayor Ananta Narayan Jena said creating the no-hoarding zone was the first step towards ensuring a city free of haphazardly placed hoardings.

Earlier, the civic body had decided to use information technology tools to ensure better management of advertisements and augment revenue collection. For this, it has decided to link hoardings to the recently-launched Bhubane-swarOne portal to allow direct access through the Internet.

The civic body had earlier sought suggestions from citizens regarding ways to make Bhubaneswar a smart city, which threw up plenty of remarks about the hoardings.

A senior civic official said: "We received several complaints from people about how these hoardings block motorists' view and distract them. Several citizens had suggested removing hoardings from rooftops as they pose a safety hazard in the event of a natural calamities such as cyclones."

It has also prohibited rooftop advertisements that pose a threat to life and property, mainly because of strong winds induced by cyclones. These advertisements, which can be seen across the city, also pose threats to motorists in the event of strong winds. The civic body has recently started seeking certificates of structural stability from owners of buildings with such advertisements.

In another development, the municipal corporation has decided to clear the city roads of illegally parked vehicles that contribute to congestion. Acting tough on motorists who park their vehicles carelessly on the roads, the civic body has already started towing away any vehicle that is found parked for more than 24 hours. Besides, it will also slap a penalty of Rs 10,000 (Rs 5,000 tow charge and Rs 5,000 administrative fee) on such motorists.

Civic officials said the exercise was started from November 25 and would continue till people realise they cannot get away by breaking rules.

After the vehicles are towed away, they are taken to a designated yard and kept there till the owner claims it. The enforcement exercise is a joint initiative of the civic body and the city's traffic police. After the vehicle is kept at the yard, the civic body issues a public notice mentioning its registration number. Deputy commissioner Subhranshu Mishra said if the owner did not claim the vehicle within three days, the civic body would not take responsibility for any wear and tear.

The notification regarding towed vehicles would be sent after getting ownership details from the Regional Transport Office based on the vehicle's registration number. The three days would begin from the day the notification is issued.

Saheed Nagar resident Pranab Patra said the civic body must ensure strict enforcement to dissuade people from carelessly parking their vehicles on the city roads. "This will prove to be a deterrent for people who disregard not only road rules but also basic civic sense," he added.